SM OU Trap & Snag (Scolipede Bulky Offence)

[Avidity]

Introduction


After watching blunderr's video about the top ten Z-Moves introduced in Sun and Moon, I realised that Scolipede finally had a decent platform to stand on within OU. As a result, I made it a priority to develop a team where Scolipede can shine. Consequentially... the Trap and Snag tactic came to be; trap the shit I don't like and snag a victory. I would fully appreciate it if you would provide constructive criticisms and suggestions concerning the team's improvement.

Scolipede @ Waterium Z
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 232 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Poison Jab
- Aqua Tail
- Swords Dance

Scolipede provides a unique ability in the OU meta as it can do a hefty amount of damage to most teams if they are unprepared. Scolipede excels at setting up on Pokémon that can't really do much back to it or aren't inclined to stay in and take a hit; Pheromosa and Tapu Fini are the ideal Pokémon to set up on since Tapu Fini can't actually do much with Scald and Pheromosa isn't going to stay in to inevitably fall to a Poison Jab. This therefore grants Scolipede a lot of the time to get a free Swords Dance which is typically a favoured win condition of mine. The EVs allow Scolipede to out-speed a Timid Tapu Lele while still being able to out-speed Pheromosa at +1 Speed (reaching 477 speed). The reason for running Adamant over Jolly is because at +1, Scolipede has the capability to OHKO Landorus-T with a Hydro Vortex which proves time and time again to be a great deal considering the majority of teams nowadays have Landorus-T. Megahorn and Poison Jab are obligatory STAB that deals massive damage to Pokémon such as Rotom-Wash and the Tapus. However, after some experience I have come to realise that perhaps Earthquake may be preferred over Megahorn due to its ability to OHKO Mega Metagross at +2 after it has taken Rocky Helmet damage and helps deal with Toxapex more efficiently.

Magnezone @ Assault Vest
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 200 HP / 184 SpA / 124 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon

Magnezone is extremely crucial for this team in many ways due to its ability to "Trap" Steel types such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Celesteela and at times Magearna and either take them out or weaken them to the point where Scolipede can OHKO them in the late-game. Many times I have used Magnezone to get off valuable chip damage laying it up for a Scolipede cleanup. The EV spread I have decided on means that Magnezone is able to out-speed the standard Mega Scizor spread and enough Special Attack to 2HKO max HP max SpDef Celesteela spreads. The leftover EVs were pumped into HP with a Calm Nature to aid Magnezone in its secondary role in acting as a check to Tapu Lele, Protean Greninja, and to pivot around Mega Metagross.

Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- U-turn

The reason why I chose Greninja in this next slot was because I wanted something that both provided speed control and had the ability to U-turn on Steel types that I wanted to trap with Magnezone. I originally chose Tornadus-T however, after mucking around with calcs and realising that it's too slow for the current meta, I abandoned the idea of being original and instead chose to go with something that filled in exactly what I was looking for - Greninja. The Specs set in my opinion is the most optimal one since it provides me with a means of checking certain threats such as Pheromosa and Volcarona with its Water Shuriken while also showing to be useful at wall-breaking and being a win condition a lot of the time during my matches. The set is very self-explanatory; potent STAB, priority, and momentum are imperative for a successful Ash-Greninja set.

Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 228 Def / 24 SpD / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn

This Pokémon was very crucial for the team as it gives me a check to a plethora of Physical attackers which otherwise hammered through my team. Mega Metagross is definitely one of them and, by running a Rocky Helmet, I can pivot around it with both Landorus and Magnezone to get enough chip damage for Scolipede to cleanup late-game. The spread is very standard with max HP, 28 SpD to tank two Dazzling Gleams from Tapu Koko, a Latios' Draco Meteor, and a +1 Fire Blast from Volcarona, enough speed to out-speed the standard Smogon Tapu Fini spread, and enough Defence to satiate my need for a check to physical attackers. I opted for Stone Edge over the ever so common Hidden Power Ice because both Mega Pinsir and Volcarona prove to be large threats to this team so having Landorus able to OHKO the both of them is very handy for the early-to-mid game.

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 200 Def / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
- Defog

Tapu Fini defensively pairs extremely well with Landorus as it can switch into Pokémon such as Greninja and Pheromosa which Landorus cannot. Not only that but it can compliment Scolipede fantastically by weakening bulkier pivots through incessant Nature's Madness spam. This set aids my match up versus stall and gives me a very efficient Defogger. The EVs allow Tapu Fini to take two Poison Jabs from a Scarfed Pheromosa while possessing enough speed to out-speed Landorus-T's trying to speed creep the standard Tapu Fini spread. I elected for no Special Defence as I feel it was unnecessary when you pair up Tapu Fini's natural bulk in the damage calculator against relevant threats that Tapu Fini will be switching into. I have frequently used Tapu Fini to take a hit from Metagross so I can weaken it with Nature's Madness which helps when trying to force the game into a cleanup session by either Scolipede or Greninja.

Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Ice Punch
- Bullet Punch

The last slot was needed for a dedicated wall-breaker; something that can come in and threaten the opponent immediately - Metagross filled that slot. Metagross's presence is vital for the team due to how versatile its roles are. Not only does to help to check Tapu Lele but it also offensively checks prominent threats such as Pheromosa, Salamence, Landorus-T, Alakazam, Magearna, and so much more. This also helps with the weakness to Toxapex by threatening it out and overall bestowing unto me the match's momentum. I decided against running Hammer Arm because I fully expect Pokémon such as Ferrothorn to be out of the game since running Shed Shell on Ferrothorn is a luxury that not many spreads can afford nowadays. Zen Headbutt is essential for dealing with Toxapex and pressuring bulkier Water types whereas Bullet Punch is needed to reliably revenge kill the aforementioned threats. This therefore leaves me with the option between Thunder Punch and Ice Punch to which I chose Ice Punch. Ice Punch hits opposing Landorus-T and Tangrowth for more damage than what Meteor Mash would do.
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Relevant Calcs​

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+1 252+ Atk Scolipede Hydro Vortex (175 BP) vs. 248 HP / 244+ Def Landorus-Therian: 406-478 (106.5 - 125.4%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+2 252+ Atk Scolipede Poison Jab vs. 248 HP / 200+ Def Tapu Fini: 326-386 (95 - 112.5%) -- 68.8% chance to OHKO

+2 252+ Atk Scolipede Poison Jab vs. 248 HP / 192 Def Tapu Fini: 360-426 (104.9 - 124.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO

+2 252+ Atk Scolipede Megahorn vs. 0 HP / 4 Def Metagross-Mega: 252-297 (83.7 - 98.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

184 SpA Magnezone Hidden Power Fire vs. 248 HP / 200 SpD Scizor-Mega: 208-248 (60.6 - 72.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

184 SpA Magnezone Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 252+ SpD Celesteela: 204-240 (51.3 - 60.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fire Blast vs. 248 HP / 28 SpD Landorus-Therian: 322-379 (84.5 - 99.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 Atk Tough Claws Metagross-Mega Meteor Mash vs. 248 HP / 200+ Def Tapu Fini: 142-168 (41.3 - 48.9%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252+ Atk Pheromosa Poison Jab vs. 248 HP / 200+ Def Tapu Fini: 136-162 (39.6 - 47.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 SpA Choice Specs Greninja-Ash Hydro Pump vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Tapu Fini: 121-143 (35.2 - 41.6%) -- 81.5% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

252 Atk Tough Claws Metagross-Mega Zen Headbutt vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def Toxapex: 200-236 (65.7 - 77.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery

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Threats​

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A Life Orb variant with Trick Room is a huge pain in the ass to deal with. I strongly recommend applying a lot of offensive pressure and never let it get a chance to set up a Trick Room.

Very difficult to switch into; typically I pivot into Magnezone or Tapu Fini before switching into Landorus-T to prevent the potential Ice Punch on the initial switch. Easily revenge killed, however.

Same problem as Mega Metagross. You have to play really offensively around it and prioritise Stealth Rocks. Not as easily revenge killed which may prove to be problematic however, once Scolipede gets going it will fall. Sun is annoying but not game defining.

Prioritise getting rid of it. It is important to bait the Inferno Overdrive by getting Landorus in on a free switch and then sacking something less important. It is imperative that you either get it low to the point where Greninja revenge kills or you keep Landorus at max HP.

Metagross is really the only thing that can take it out. Otherwise your alternative is flinching it down with Greninja once it is in Ash forme. This is the main reason why I am contemplating Earthquake over Megahorn on Scolipede.

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Replays​

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Scolipede cleaning up late-game

Dealing with Reuniclus

Scolipede sweep

Another Scolipede sweep

Scolipede cleaning up mid-game

Intense match against setup spam

Versing a disgusting team

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Import​

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Scolipede @ Waterium Z
Ability: Speed Boost
EVs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 232 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Megahorn
- Poison Jab
- Aqua Tail
- Swords Dance

Magnezone @ Assault Vest
Ability: Magnet Pull
EVs: 200 HP / 184 SpA / 124 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon

Greninja-Ash @ Choice Specs
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Water Shuriken
- U-turn

Landorus-Therian @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 248 HP / 224 Def / 28 SpD / 8 Spe
Impish Nature
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Stealth Rock
- U-turn

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 200 Def / 60 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Nature's Madness
- Taunt
- Defog

Metagross-Mega @ Metagrossite
Ability: Tough Claws
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Meteor Mash
- Zen Headbutt
- Ice Punch
- Bullet Punch​

Conclusion

Overall I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed using this team and I look forward to using it later on. Personally I feel that the team at times has struggles with breaking certain cores. For example, Shed Shell Skarmory + Diglett is a giant pain since you really have to play immaculately in order to win. Of course, that is the problem with Arena Trap and Stall - iz broken. However, the amount of times I have had Scolipede either cleanup or sweep was extremely surprising which leads me to believe that this team was successful in making Scolipede shine. Of course, tunnel vision is annoying for team builders and it's why I've come here to ask you guys to help out. I most likely will add Earthquake over Megahorn on Scolipede though. Once again, all contributions are appreciated!​

 

[Egg Custap]

Hey, this is a solid team, and I don't have too much experience with the meta at the moment, but I'll try my best to make some suggestions.

Looking at your team, I see a couple weaknesses. First off, outside of Magnezone, your team has no way to deal with Celesteela. Of course, if you play the game smartly and keep your Magnezone alive, this isn't too much of a problem, but if they EQ you on switch-in or otherwise remove it beforehand, you're going to have a bit of trouble dealing with Celesteela, outside of setting up with Scolipede. Another weakness of your team is Scarfchomp. Once Lando-T is out of the picture, 'Chomp can swoop in and put pressure on most of your team, dealing a hefty Earthquake to your switch-in. Scolipede outspeeds with one boost, but can't KO it without a Swords Dance up. Outside these circumstances, you'll have a pretty hard time dealing with it. Less threatening but still worth noting, Manaphy, when boosted, essentially sweeps through your entire team. This is obviously the case for most teams, but you might want some insurance to prevent the whole Scolipede BP into Manaphy shenanigans. Finally, once your Tapu Fini is out of the way, Charizard X at +1 DD bulldozes through your team.

Like I mentioned, I'm not the most qualified to give direct suggestions, and my main goal here is to present some issues (I trust you're experienced enough to find solutions to this). I feel that running Protect on Scolipede would be great, allowing it to Speed Boost and deal with many threats, but unfortunately it suffers from 4MSS. I would suggest running Kartana, as its natural physical bulk and steel typinf allow it to switch in on many of the threats you mentioned (other than Volcarona), and pressure the opponent into a switch, which you could then turn into some momentum.

Obviously, your team is very strong, and I'm just nitpicking at a couple specific cases. You do certainly have checks yo these cases, but I feel that once these checks are removed somehow, the rest of your team may easily crumble. Your Scolipede set is a nice sweeper, but with no Protect, it's somewhat unreliable in dealing with faster threats. I realize I'm not being too helpful in the change department, but I hope I've brought a couple issues worth considering to your attention.

 

[Avidity]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to read the thread and go over the team. While I do see where you're coming from, based off of experience and theorising I don't really agree with you on some points.

First off, outside of Magnezone, your team has no way to deal with Celesteela.

While it's true that the team has troubles with taking out Celesteela if Magnezone falls, it isn't impossible. Typically I find myself weakening it with either Greninja, Tapu Fini, and a +2 Hydro Vortex from Scolipede. Also, I never actually switch in Magnezone on the Celesteela unless it's a free switch (it goes for Protect or I double into it). So far, Celesteela hasn't really been too problematic in all honesty. Plus the EV spread allows Magnezone to tank an Earthquake if it does carry it.

Another weakness of your team is Scarfchomp.

Scarfchomp is an issue in the late-game but when isn't it? The team itself matches up relatively well against Garchomp and typically I reserve my Landorus-T's Intimidate or, if I can, health to handle it in the late-game. Landorus-T isn't my only check either considering Tapu Fini is Physically defensive and I have two potent offensive checks in Greninja and Mega Metagross (Metagross can live one Earthquake if it has to and has Bullet Punch to pick off a weakened Garchomp).

Manaphy, when boosted, essentially sweeps through your entire team.

I have yet to lose to that tactic. It is a garbage tactic that is easily outmanoeuvred if you apply the right offensive pressure. Not to mention that Scolipede also eats those kind of teams alive; it's more threatening on paper than in practice.

Finally, once your Tapu Fini is out of the way, Charizard X at +1 DD bulldozes through your team.

Honestly that's just not the case. Landorus-T checks Charizard X reasonably well and it has done through experience with this team. Not to mention the plethora of priority and speed control that this team has the capability to possess and revenge kill Charizard. Also, it's important to note that the same logic could be applied to any team - "Pokémon A could throttle your team once X and Y are gone". Checks aren't everlasting counters; they're there to temporarily control a threat and whittle them to the point where they are ineffective for example weakening Charizard with Tapu Fini/Landorus-T to the point where Greninja can pick it off.

I feel that running Protect on Scolipede would be great

This I actually agree with. If Scolipede had Protect, it would help me out a lot more in certain match ups. The only issue is that, as you have stated, 4MSS is an issue with Scolipede and the attacks it currently has are imperative to the point where I physically cannot afford to run Protect otherwise its viability will drastically decrease.

I would suggest running Kartana, as its natural physical bulk and steel typinf allow it to switch in on many of the threats you mentioned

What is it with people viewing Kartana as some sort of defensive check? Kartana doesn't really do anything for the team and the entire purpose of this team was to make Scolipede shine. Besides, it doesn't check the main threats any more than Scolipede.

Calcs

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252+ SpA Life Orb Reuniclus Psychic vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kartana: 242-286 (93.4 - 110.4%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO

0 SpA Toxapex Scald vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Kartana: 63-74 (24.3 - 28.5%) -- 98.4% chance to 4HKO (Toxapex gets Haze remember)

252 Atk Tough Claws Metagross-Mega Hammer Arm vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kartana: 244-288 (94.2 - 111.1%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO

...Do I even need to show you the calcs from Charizard Y and Volcarona?

but with no Protect, it's somewhat unreliable in dealing with faster threats.

My experience and the provided replays would be evidence to the contrary. Scolipede is actually fantastic against faster teams because most of the extremely fast threats are weak to Scolipede in terms of typing or just fragility so Scolipede a lot of the time can pick up a free Swords Dance and a boost to Speed which, a lot of the time, ends up cleaning up their team or taking out a good 2/3 Pokémon - a feat Kartana can't really accomplish.